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How to Find a Job With Twitter

Written by: Kathryn Tuggle04/26/13 - 9:00 AM EDT

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NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Whether you're looking for your first internship or you're ready for new management opportunities, most job-seekers know that online job boards and employment websites are great places to start -- but what about Twitter?

With social media now a part of everyday life, more companies have begun Tweeting and Facebooking job listings, and experts say it's no surprise job-seekers have responded loud and clear.

According to a JobVite survey, 73% of hiring managers have used social media for recruiting, and last year 46% of the workforce used Twitter to conduct business -- up from 37% in 2011.

The study also found that out of the 73% of companies that found a hire through a social media network, 15% hired through Twitter.

New York-based Recruitment firm Phifer & Co. boasts 32,000 Twitter followers, and CEO Brian Phifer says that in the past five years his company has made 25 hires thanks to responses from his company's Tweets.

"It's usually the age group of 23-27 years that respond or are hired through Twitter, but we have had a couple of senior hires as well," says Phifer, who's used the site to hire for positions in marketing, advertising and PR.

Phifer says he typically posts jobs to Twitter with a link to the job opening. He also includes the job title and location -- if the 140-character limit allows.

"Most of these individuals embrace social media because of their field, but it's also a sign of the times that twitter can in certain instances work a lot more than any job board," he says.

The more creative the job, the more likely the company is to post the position on its social media channels, says Peter Handal, CEO of Dale Carnegie Training.

"This type of recruiting/hiring process is more popular in certain industries than others -- it is still relatively unconventional by traditional standards," Handal says. "But any company that has a digital presence can hire or seek out potential employees via social media."

Job-seekers who keep an eye out for job openings on social media may be able to gain a better idea of what companies they'd be best suited for by reading and following posts.

"If you are interested in a certain company, follow it! Not only is there a higher chance to see career opportunities, but you might learn something important you can use in an interview," Handal says.